PSALM 41 - Messiah: Betrayed by a friend
- 41:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
- Like Psalm 3, this Psalm may have been written by David, during the rebellion led by his son Absalom.
- However, the Lord Jesus Himself quoted from this Psalm in reference to His betrayal (see v.9). Therefore, we can expect that the balance of the Psalm will speak of Him.
- As His spoken word applies this Psalm to a specific event, so, likewise, numerous passages, of God's written Word, shed so much light on the text of this Psalm, that very little explanatory commentary is necessary. By a comparison of scripture with scripture, the Lord opens His Word to His children. Therefore, the cross reference links are of central importance, to every study.
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Blessed [is] he that considereth the poor:
the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
- the poor - lit., the weak, or the sick.
- he that considers...- Christ impoverished Himself,
- in order to bless us with the riches of God.
- Psa 40:17; Mat 5:3; 2Cor 8:9
- 41:2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; {cp. Psa 16:1}
[and] he shall be blessed upon the earth: {cp. Psa 40:4}
and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. {cp. Psa 22:20-21,24}
- 41:3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing:
thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. {cp. Psa 22:19; Luk 22:41-44}
- 41:4 I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul;
for I have sinned against thee. {cp. Psa 40:11-12; Isa 53:6; 2Cor 5:21}
- 41:5 Mine enemies speak evil of me,
When shall he die, and his name perish? {cp. Psa 22:6-8}
- 41:6 And if he come to see [me], he speaketh vanity:
his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; [when] he goeth abroad, he telleth [it]. -
cp. Luk 11:53-54; Luk 20:20-23
- 41:7 All that hate me whisper together against me:
against me do they devise my hurt. {Mat 22:15; Mat 26:3-5}
- 41:8 An evil disease, [say they], cleaveth fast unto him:
and [now] that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
- an evil disease - lit., a thing of belial {belial = satan}.
- Mat 12:24; Joh 10:20
- he shall rise up no more.- Mat 27:41-43, 62-66
- 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread,
hath lifted up [his] heel against me.
- David experienced betrayal by a friend- 2Sam 15:12,31; Psa 55:12-14,20-21
- Christ quoted this verse as fulfilled in Judas' betrayal: Joh 13:"18-19", 26-27
- Note, however, that He omits the portion of the verse which refers to his friendship.
- Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him (Joh 6:64,70). Judas was never so familiar with Jesus as at the moment of betrayal. Even then, it was Jesus who addressed him as "friend" (Mat 26:48-50).
- 41:10 But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me,
and raise me up, that I may requite them.
- Psa 40:14-15; Psa 109:21-31; Luk 19:27
- 41:11 By this I know that thou favourest me,
because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
- Psa 102:8-13; Col 2:15
- 41:12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity,
and settest me before thy face for ever.
- Psa 16:10,11; Psa 73:23-24; Joh 17:24
- 41:13 Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel
from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
- cp. Mat 6:13; Eph 1:3
This Concludes the study in Psalm 41.
Click here to begin the study in Psalm 45
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